Defense to question Belgorod shooter at Tuesday hearing

August 06, 2013, 10:44 UTC+3Last Thursday, the defense requested a pause to prepare for questioning

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BELGOROD, August 6 (Itar-Tass) - "Belgorod shooter" Sergei Pomazun, accused of killing six people, will be questioned by the defense at a hearing on Tuesday. Last Thursday, the defense requested a pause, Deputy Chairwoman of the Belgorod region court Irina Sazonova told Itar-Tass.

The defense needed a pause to prepare for the questioning, as Pomazun's lawyer Viktor Yeremeyev explained. In particular, the suspect will face questions about his army service. "Pomazun blamed the army for his negative life experience where "one can ignore people's lives for the sake of attaining his goal," Yeremeyev said.

"The Belgorod shooter" will be convoyed into the courtroom again. Earlier, the judge had to expel him from a hearing because of his conduct. Pomazun kept shouting insults at witnesses, and used invectives in the presence of an underage eye-witness. He also threatened the judge and other persons.

The Investigative Committee said Pomazun had gone on a shooting rampage because of "hooligan motives."

At around 11:00, on April 22, Pomazun opened a safe in his house to retrieve his father's Vepr-308 hunting rifle and at least 144 rounds of ammunition. On the same day, he drove to the hunting equipment shop in Narodny Bulvar /Parkway/ in Belgorod at 14:20, Moscow time, entered it and killed two shop assistants and a visitor. He then stole two self-loading hunting rifles Tigr and more than 250 rounds of ammunition.

As he was leaving the shop, Pomazun shot at passers-by, killing a man and an underage girl. Another girl died in hospital later in the day.

Pomazun was detained near the Belgorod railway station in the evening of the following day. He stabbed the police officer who was detaining him at least four times.

He was charged with murder of two or more persons for hooligan motives, concealing crimes, illegal turnover of weapons, theft of weapons and ammunition, an attempted murder of law-enforcement officer. Pomazun is facing life imprisonment.

The suspect was released from prison in December 2012 after serving a four-year sentence for theft.